The Surrogate Aftermath
by WeBuiltThePyramids
Summary: Sequel to the Surrogate Paradox. Penny's doing everything she can to still feel needed in Benny's life. Eventually, he's going to stop needing her, but she doesn't want to think about that.  Warnings for alcohol use.
1. Temporary Reliance

**So thanks to the poll on my profile page, I've started to clean up what I've written for the sequel to The Surrogate Paradox. I've got the first chapter ready to post now, so here it is! I can't guarantee when updates are going to occur, but they shouldn't be more than a few days apart. Feel free to vote in the poll if you haven't, no need to vote for this one anymore!**

**I don't own anything that you see on television. I do own Benny. :D**

"Penny, I've told you this many times before and I'll say it again, your breasts should be able to do better than this," Amy said, shaking her head slowly as she eyed the containers.

Penny glanced down at her chest, and then back up to the brunette neurobiologist, raising her eyebrows ever so slightly in mock annoyance. "Amy, I'm a woman, not a machine."

"Still," Amy said, holding one of the containers up, "considering the size of your breasts, it's amazing that Benny can live off of such small amounts of milk.""

"Sheldon told me he doesn't even use all of it. And he's gaining weight. What's the problem, exactly?"

"Nothing to do with Benny," Amy said, "I just don't know that you're fulfilling your production potential."

"We're not selling it," Penny said. "Anyway, you just have your own baby next time and then I'll be able to go about my day not being told repeatedly that my breastmilk production is low. Not to mention, your comment about Benny being able to survive 'considering the size of' my chest, implies that baby's survive based on proportion, isn't it?"

"Oh, I'm not intending to offend," Amy said. "We're very lucky that the woman who carried that our baby is willing to feed it, too. And yes, you're right. Very good."

"Damn right you're lucky," Penny said, "and don't you ever forget it." She had always assumed that the Shamy would bottle feed Benny, but after he had been born Amy had brought up the possibility of them continuing to use Penny for Benny's nutrition. She had agreed, partly because it was the best way to feed a baby and partly - mostly, if she was being totally honest with herself - because wanted Benny to still need her somehow. Three months into his life, the Shamy baby's survival still depended on Penny, and she loved that. She chose to ignore the fact that he'd technically be able to survive on formula, too, and he wouldn't need the Vitamin D supplements he currently was on. It didn't matter, Shamy preferred their little experiment be fed the natural way, and long story short, Penny was happy to comply, as strange and unusual as their arrangement was.

"How long do you have to work today?" Amy asked.

"I'll be home by seven," Penny answered. "Then I'm going to go over to Leonard and Sheldon's. You'll drop Benny off?"

"Yes," Amy said. "Are you aware that each time you have a day off you ask if you are going to get Benny, even though our schedule that allows this has not changed once in the past three months? It implies a lack of faith in either my honesty or your memory."

"I'm just making sure," Penny said, putting the last of the containers into the cooler – style bag that Amy had brought with her. "Now I gotta go and change; you'll show yourself out?"

"I am certianly capable," Amy said, putting her arm around Penny's neck for a quick and somewhat awkward hug, a hug that Penny had grown quite accustomed to being on the receiving end of these last eleven weeks. While the Shamy was not great at expressing prolonged gratitude, it was getting easier and easier to understand when Amy was trying. "See you later, Bestie."

Penny moved into the bedroom and finished the water bottle on her bedside table; she had to keep hydrated while she was feeding Benny, and then opened her closet and pulling out her Cheesecake Factory uniform. She looked at the ensemble and smiled to herself. It wasn't the most gorgeous of outfits, and she was tired of the same old, same old job, but she could fit in it again, and that was really, really nice.

Penny moved to the bathroom and took off her sweats, tugging the shirt over her head and zipping the skirt around her hips. She tipped her head back slightly to put her hair up, pulling it into her usual work – do effortlessly. She'd bounced back well from the caesarian that had resulted in Benny's birth, and aside from the scar on her lower stomach that she still traced with her finger each time she saw it, she showed no effects from the pregnancy. She was a part of the baby's life, and as much as she did miss Benny being with her all the time, Penny was glad that she was slim enough again to fit into that uniform.

Or maybe she was missing Benny so much she was just trying to find something good about being alone again.

Penny pushed that thought to the back of her mind and buried it, grabbing her purse and heading out the door. As of right now, Penny was still helping Benny to survive. She didn't know what she would do once the baby was weaned, and she wasn't planning on crossing that bridge until she absolutely had to.

**Please review! This fic is going to take a different track than "the gang learns that they're like a family." That was the point of my last fic. This one will explore some other directions. Hope you'll enjoy it! This is my first multi-chapter sequel! :)**


	2. Derivative

**Sorry these chapters aren't very long! I'm doing my best. I still only own Benny.**

"Hello, Dr. Wolowitz. Howard," Sheldon said in greeting as the couple entered the apartment. Howard made a slashing motion with his hand.

"Howard," Bernadette said, "that's not how you give someone the finger."

"It's the…moving finger," Leonard said, turning his palms up momentarily to show his lack of amusement. Bernadette looked at him, then to Howard, and then finally to Sheldon. "Where's Amy?"

"She's changing Benny in Penny's apartment."

"Still won't let her do it here?" Bernadette asked.

"You keep asking me that, Bernadette, when you know the answer. It baffles me as to why that is."

"Penny was doing the same thing this morning," Amy said, entering the apartment with Benny in her arms. "It must be a girl thing, and now that I've come to that conclusion I feel very left out."

"Hey Benny," Bernadette said, ignoring Amy's comment and stepping toward the baby. "How's our boy?" She took him from Amy and got him settled in her arms. "I hear you guys got him to laugh yesterday."

"Yes, but we'd rather not talk about it," Sheldon said, putting his hands behind his back.

"Why not?" Howard asked.

"They were working on math problems on Sheldon's board and had him propped up so he could see, and when Sheldon said…"

"No!" Sheldon yelled. "Child is present, don't say it."

Leonard glared at Sheldon for a moment before continuing. "…when Sheldon said d – e – r – i – v –a – t – i – v – e Benny acted like it was the funniest thing since Achmed."

"Please tell me you haven't shown the baby Achmed," Bernadette said.

"He's just a kid," Amy said, "he doesn't understand."

"Then why is it such a big deal that he laughed at the derivative?" Bernadette asked.

"No!" Sheldon and Amy shouted.

Too late. Benny's mouth turned into a smile and he started to giggle. Amy and Sheldon looked at each other in horror.

"You didn't answer my question," Bernadette said.

"Science is not a laughing matter," Sheldon said. "Unless of course you're making fun of the dirt people. Or engineers."

Bernadette and Howard, yet to sit down, turned when they heard the door open. "Hey," Penny said, entering the apartment. "There's Benny!" She said in her baby – voice. Bernadette handed the Shamy's son over, and Penny curled her arms around the infant. "Happy eleven weeks!" she said to the boy, smiling down at him. She walked around Bernadette and sat in the wooden chair by across from the couch.

"Do you want this one?" Leonard asked, gesturing to the chair he was in.

She shook her head. "I'm okay." She looked down at the baby. "Derivative!"

Sheldon threw up his hands.

Amy sidled up to Penny and smiled. "Are you saying that because you know that it will make him laugh?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Penny asked.

Amy beamed. "It is. Which is why I was saying it."

"I'm confused," Penny said, furrowing her brow.

"Amy thinks that you and Bernadette state the obvious all the time because you're girls and that's what girls do," Leonard said.

"And it's quite nonsense if you ask me," Sheldon said. "No offense to Amy, of course, but as Leonard states the obvious every time he writes up a report; it's not just a habit that women fall into."

Penny glanced at Leonard and smirked; he did his best to hide his returning look of amusement and both wiped the grins off their faces the instant Sheldon looked at them.

"So, uh…" Howard looked around. "Where's Raj?"

"He flew home," Sheldon said. "His sister is sick."

"Priya?" Leonard asked.

"No, his older sister," Amy said. "Apparently whenever she gets sick his mother, to use the clinical term, flips out."

"How do you two know all of this?" Howard asked, looking confused.

"He was trying to play with Benny when he got the news," Amy said. "As if a three month old child could understand Chutes and Ladders."

"You were trying to teach him about…" Howard cut off when Sheldon and Amy sent him identical warning looks.

"The d – e – r – i – v – a – t – i – v – e – s?" Bernadette offered.

Howard looked at her. "Yes," he said very seriously. He looked back at the Shamy. "I can't believe you guys are making us spell stuff out for a three - month - old."

"Derivative!" Penny said in the baby – voice again, looking down at Benny. The infant howled with baby laughter.

"I give up," Sheldon said to Amy. "I give up. Our child is going to grow up with no appropriate appreciation for science."

"He's three months old, Sheldon, I'm sure when you were three months old your mother had high hopes for you as a religious man."

"Exactly!" Sheldon said. "And look how I turned out!" He looked at the baby. "Theoretical physicist!"

Benny grinned and gave another laugh.

"Aw, poor Shamy," Penny said, grinning.

"More like 'poor Sheldon'," Amy said, folding her arms.

"How so?" Sheldon asked her crossing his own arms in challenge.

Amy looked at him for a long moment, and then bent over Penny and the baby. "Neurobiologist." After a few moments of silence, she looked up at Sheldon and smiled smugly.

Sheldon looked back at her, and then down at their son. "Geology!" The baby laughed. "Well, there's some hope for him, at least," he said, shrugging.


	3. Where No Traffic Is Heard

**Here's the next chapter – I still only own Benny.**

After Howard and Bernadette had left, Raj had stumbled toward the door drunk, leading Leonard to jump up and guide him back to the couch for the night. Amy had said her good – nights, kissed Benny's forehead, and left the baby in Penny's arms. And so began one of the nights that the waitress cherished beyond anything else in her life.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," she said, rising and smiling at Leonard, Sheldon, and the now passed out Raj.

"Bye, Penny," Leonard said, smiling over at her. She knew he secretly loved the fact that she had remained so close to Benny these past three months – either he loved it, or it amused him, but she chose to believe that he really liked (at the very least) the way that she was keeping up with all of her previous decisions. It made her feel very grown up.

"Peace out, blondie," Raj mumbled from the couch, raising his hand in a peace sign. Penny shifted the baby in her arms. "Drinking in front of the Shamy baby?" she said to Raj. "Really?" The astrophysicist didn't answer her, so she glanced around at the three men again before turning and heading across the hall.

Once there, she put Benny in the baby seat that she'd bought for him and dropped to her knees in front of the infant. "Derrrrrrivative!" she said in her baby voice, running her finger around the baby's face. Benny giggled and waved his arms, his face stretched in a baby grin as far as his features would allow. Dear Cow, he looked like Amy. It was almost terrifying how much of the neurobiologist that Penny could see in the woman's son. "Now, this still isn't…" she wracked her brain for the right word, "conclusive evidence that you are indeed a Shamy baby," she said. "If you looked like Sheldon, then I'd believe that he…" Benny couldn't understand her, but Penny still wanted to make all their "conversations" G – rated. "…actually had the capabilities to be a Daddy." She wrinkled her nose. Sheldon was a lot of things. Sheldon was not a Daddy. "You don't know what I am talking about," she said to Benny. "So it doesn't matter how I word things, does it?" The baby made a face. "Okay, maybe you are Sheldon's son," she said, laughing.

She stood up. "I got you something," she told Benny, who was looking up at her with his big eyes. "I'll be right back," she said, moving around the baby seat and toward her bedroom.

Benny's anxious sounds reached her ears as she opened her closet. "I'm not gone, sweetie, just one minute!" It both warmed and broke her heart whenever she left the room and he cried. She hated that he was discontent, but at the same time, she loved that Benny was content only when he could see her. Well, her or Amy or almost any of the guys, but she was the only one aside from Sheldon or Amy that spent any one on one time with the three month old.

"Look, Benny," she said, moving around the couch and kneeling by the seat again. "It's a stuffed animal! A penguin! See the penguin?"

Benny had his fist in his mouth, and when the penguin came into sight he grinned and waved his hands again. Penny tucked the penguin in next to Benny, and pulled her phone out for a picture. Setting it on timer, she propped the phone on the coffee table and dropped down to be in the picture. "What a photogenic little guy you are," she said, touching Benny's nose with her finger. She remembered rough housing with her little nephew, and a part of her wanted Benny to be a little older so she could play with him, too. But for now, they could cuddle, and cuddling was very popular with Penny, especially when it came to little Benny.

She went to the fridge and took out one of her containers of milk, heating it, testing it on her arm, and then took him out of the baby seat and sat on the couch, her feet on the coffee table, and lay Benny out on her lap. He was about the distance from where her lap began and her knees, and Penny found that ridiculously adorable, but as cute as he was, she didn't want him lying on his back on her upper legs. She wanted him nearer to her than that.

Penny scooped the baby up and reclined the best she could, holding Benny close to her chest and offering him the bottle. He took to it immediately, his little mouth working the nutrition from the bottle to himself.

"Efficient little bugger," Penny said, kissing Benny's head. "So, how long do you think it'll be before you need glasses?" she asked him. "Sheldon doesn't; maybe you'll take after him. But your Momma did from a pretty young age. I don't, but…" she trailed off, "but you didn't get anything from me."

Penny looked down at the baby again. Screw horseplay. She wanted him to stay just like this. Forever.

Benny finished eating, and Penny burped him and changed his diaper before returning them to the couch. "You gonna sleep?" Penny asked Benny, whose eyes had been closed prior to her speaking, but opened them momentarily to look at her. She rested the baby against her, feet touching hers, head on her chest, and rocked him gently. "_Oh often at night, when the heavens are bright, __from the light of the glittering stars, __have I stood there amazed and asked as I gazed if their glory exceeds that of ours. Home, home on the range, where the deer, and the antelope play…_" she trailed off. That song had lulled her to sleep countless times as a child (despite it belonging to Kansas), and she'd always thought she'd sing it to her own kids, but for some reason, she couldn't remember the rest of the words. Maybe it was because Benny wasn't hers. Or maybe – and more likely – it was because she'd somehow been suckered into watching _Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco_ the other day, and all she could remember this point forward was Sassy's version.

Aw, Hell. Benny wouldn't know the difference, it was the sound of her voice that mattered. So Penny continued.

"_Where no traffic is heard, and I can maul birds, and sleep in the sunshine all day."_

**Sorry it took a few days to get this up, guys! And remember, reviews are always appreciated!**


	4. Applesauce

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long, guys! I could go on and on about college and the ten season drama I'm rewatching and yadda yadda ya, but if I'm totally honest with myself, you guys really don't care about that. Aside from maybe Joni, haha.**

**I know where I wanted to go with this but was a bit stuck on how to get there, then my darlings at Fanforum (post there more, Jo-knee!) mentioned something in one of the discussion threads and the lightbulb went off in my head. *click***

**Anyway, I'm done rambling, I don't own anyone but Benny, etcetera etcetera, I've made you wait long enough for this installment, so here it is. **

**THERE IS A PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED TIME JUMP THAT OCCURS NOW. Benny is now eleven months old. This will be the only time jump in the fic that is larger than a week or so.**

"Sheldon," Penny said, "you're acting like a child again."

"How is attempting to make sure that the primary food source for one's own son is taking the proper vitamins acting like a child?"

"_You have the wrong ones again!"_ Penny mimicked the hop that Sheldon had executed while imitating his voice and facial expression. "That's childish. Plus, I kept my diet to what you and Amy wanted the entire time he was exclusively nursing. He's into solid foods now and you said yourself he is going to be weaned in a few weeks – why can't I go back to eating and drinking what I want?"

"You have proven your own point," Sheldon said. "Benny is not yet weaned. In fact, there's a list of things I would like to accomplish prior to that day, and keeping his current diet the same is one of them."

"You…I'm going to regret asking this question for the rest of my life, but what else is on that list?" Penny asked, bracing herself for the answer.

"Well changing his name is at the top of that, but his mother would never go for that," Sheldon said. "Women."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that sexist comment and put the vitamins back of my own free will," Penny said, half joking, as she replaced the vitamin bottle back on the shelf, pushing it back to defy the automatic dispenser and smiling with satisfaction when the bottle snapped back into place.

"If you need to convince yourself that you're the one doing right by Benny, then go ahead," Sheldon said.

Penny stepped closer to him, narrowing her eyes and doing her best to be intimidating. "I do a Hell of a lot right by little Benny," she snapped. "Don't you dare tell me otherwise."

"What's wrong?"

Penny and Sheldon turned in unison, Penny to her left and Sheldon to his right, to see Amy approach with Benny. "I just fed him the free sample applesauce," the neurobiologist informed Sheldon. "He loved it."

"He's still got some at the corner of his mouth," Sheldon said. After a brief moment of silence, he twitched. "Well, one of you women get it off!"

"Oh come on, Sheldon," Penny said, reaching out and removing the food from Benny's face with a paper towel, "it's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Sheldon asked.

"Here we go," Amy said.

"First of all, this woman here," he said, motioning toward Penny, "is trying to stock her milk up on vitamins so she can profit from Benny's urine…"

"Where did that come from?" Penny protested.

Sheldon ignored her. "And now you are letting him eat food that was possibly touched, double dipped, etcetera by people who may be carrying dangerous pathogens?"

"Relax, Sheldon," Amy said. "the worker at the sample table had just opened a new container. And I am sure that any money Penny makes off of Benny's urine will be donated to his college fund or scientific research, right, Bestie?"

"Oh yeah, sure," Penny said, nodding. "Totally."

Sheldon and Amy glanced at each other, and then back at Penny. "See, now I don't think that was sincere," Sheldon said, folding his arms and cocking his head.

Penny reached into her purse and slapped a bill into Sheldon's hand. "Here's a dollar," she said. "Shut up."

"I'll do you one better," Sheldon said, smiling. "I'll leave." He took Benny from Amy and headed for the door.

"Where are you going with him?" Penny called.

"Aw, Bestie, we don't need to be so protective. He's just taking him back to 2311 to play him a Hawking lecture."

"I know," Penny said. "I just want to spend time with him."

Amy smiled. "You spend more time with him than Sheldon does," she reminded Penny.

"I…" Penny cut off what she was going to say and looked down. "You're right," she said, smiling. "Are you about ready to check out?" Amy nodded, and the two women moved toward the express lane. Watching Amy put baby foods out on the conveyer, Penny was more than a little surprised at the feelings of resentment that were forming inside of her. Then she realized she shouldn't be surprised. No baby self-weaned at a year old. It wouldn't be Benny pushing her away; Sheldon and Amy were doing that for him. Penny folded her arms as she watched Amy self-scan the items, smiling as she noticed that the price of the baby food had gone up. An instant later, she felt terrible for her feeling of satisfaction at Amy spending so much money on Benny. But at the same time, they didn't have to wean him so early. Penny swallowed and managed a smile when Amy looked at her, her eyes traveling to the gossip magazine rack, more specifically the bottle in the celebrity's hand, when Amy was looking elseware.

**I'm hoping to have the next chapter up pretty soon, but I can't promise anything. :/**


	5. Circle of Life

**I've spent a while trying to decide how to tie in all I wanted to get accomplished in this fic, and the show, particularly the last episode, has given me the perfect catalyst – or so I hope. Here's the next chapter-Benny's birthday.**

Howard and Bernadette stuck their heads between the door and the frame, grinning. "We're here!" Bernadette announced, dancing through the door, holding a box wrapped in red paper in front of her in both hands.

"Yes, the party has indeed started now," Raj said sarcastically from his spot on Amy's couch.

"How are you talking?" Howard asked.

"I allowed him to have one shot," Amy said. "Just so Penny, Bernadette, and yours truly don't render him mute over intimidation of our off the charts sex appeal."

Howard smiled. "That's a good idea, Amy," he said, largely for her amusement. "So," he said, "is Sheldon bringing a present?"

"Benny is his son," Amy said. "I certianly hope so."

"He will," Raj said. "He doesn't need to be told that gift giving is a non-optional social convention more than once."

There was another knock at the door. "It's open!" Amy called.

"Amy," Sheldon said as he and Leonard entered the apartment, "we have a child who has just turned one year old. He is incapable of defending himself, and you just call out to any old Joe who knocks at your door. What if I was a serial killer?"

"Then we wouldn't be having this conversation," Amy deadpanned, causing Leonard and Howard to smirk. "But of course, it being you and Leonard, Benny and I are still alive."

"So," Leonard said, looking around," where's the birthday boy?"

"He should be waking up any moment," Amy said. "Then we'll be giving him his last bottle, and start the celebration begins." She looked at the clock. "Where's Penny?"

"She left before we did," Leonard said. "She's not here?"

"No," Amy said, looking concerned.

"I'm here, I'm here!" Penny announced as she burst through the door, looking flustered. "I had a flat tire. I ran down to the Comic Book store and Stuart closed up a bit early to go down and wait for someone to come with a spare. Then I ran here."

"You didn't pass her on the road?" Raj asked Leonard and Sheldon.

"We don't go that way," Sheldon said. "It has speed bumps."

"Just don't slow down for them," Penny said. "That's what I do."

"You have a flat tire," Howard pointed out.

"I know," she said, looking extremely upset. "But I have Benny's presents."

A sound rose up from the bedroom. "Looks like he's awake," Amy said, smiling. "Be right back."

Penny flopped down on the couch next to Raj and Bernadette. "Ugh, it's an awful day."

"How can it be awful?" Bernadette said, smiling. "It's Benny's birthday."

Penny smiled. "I know, it's just…" she tipped her head back. "I've stopped 'nursing', so my breasts hurt, I had a long ass shift today, so my feet and back hurt, and I had that godda…nged," she said, changing her word in midsentence when Amy carried her son into the room, "flat tire. But yes, this little boy was born a year ago today, and that makes it great, doesn't it, Benny boy?" Penny asked, changing her finale few words to baby talk as Amy sat down on the arm of the couch and held the boy on her lap. "Here he is," she said.

"Hold him up like the Lion King baby," Raj suggested, raising his arms in example.

Amy rearranged her hold on the boy and lifted him into the air.

"It's the ciiiircle of life…" Raj started, moving his arms dramatically. "And it moooves us aaaalll…"

"Through despair, and hope," Howard continued.

"Through faith and love," Bernadette said, tipping her head back toward Howard as he stood behind the couch.

"Until we find our place on the path unwinding," Penny said, tilting her head to see Benny's face better.

The boy looked a bit confused at being up in the air, and he squirmed a little bit as his mother continued with the song. "In the circle, the circle of life," Amy finished, lowering her son and turning him around so he faced her. "Happy birthday, sweetie," she said, touching her nose to Benny's.

"Is that going to be your special birthday song?" Penny asked, reaching out to tickle Benny's side. "Derivative!"

"Oh dear lord," Sheldon said.

"Ease up, Physicist," Penny said. "It's your son's birthday." She put her hand on her abdomen. "I've got a scar that's now a year old."

"Please don't show us," Sheldon said, coming over and taking Benny from Amy. "Did you make a cake?"

"I made a cupcake," Amy said. "And it's got a B on it.." She pointed to her coffee table.

"Aw, it's so cute!" Penny said, clapping her hands together. "Look at that, little Benny." She looked at Amy. "Do you have a candle?"

Amy regarded her friend. "Fire? Around an infant?" She shook her head. "Seriously, Bestie. Okay, so he can eat it later, how about presents?"

"You're more impatient than the boy," Howard said. "Bernadette and I got him this little…"

"Spoilers!" Bernadette hissed, handing Penny the gift. Amy moved to the floor and sat Benny next to her, taking the present from Penny and handing it to the infant, who seemed much more fascinated with the bow than anything else. "Benny boy," Penny said, tearing the paper a little to give him a hint. "Look what's in here."

Leonard dropped down next to Amy and feinged amazement when the boy and his mother removed the present from the paper. "A ball!"

Benny grinned. "Ayah…" he said, taking the ball and throwing it. It hit Penny's shins and bounced back, and he giggled.

"Not talking yet, huh?" Raj, who had spent the least amount of time with Benny in the last year, asked.

"Not yet," Amy said. "Hopefully in the next month or so."

"At least he's not taking after his father," Howard said. "Because that guy, let me tell you, he just won't shut up."

"If you'll notice, Howard," Sheldon said, "I have not talked since we were on the subject of the cake."

"And we're very proud of you," Amy said.

"Raj, what did you get him?" Sheldon asked.

"A got him a blanket," Raj said. "It's in his room."

"Aw, that's sweet, Raj," Penny said, reaching over Bernadette to squeeze his arm.

"Did you get him a sweater?" Sheldon asked. Howard smirked.

"Hey now," Penny said, "he loves that sweater! Right, Leonard?"

Leonard had been rolling the ball toward Benny, but upon hearing his name, looked up. "Huh?"

"Never mind," Amy said. "What did you get him?"

"Oh." Leonard went into his bag and came up with a box. "Block letters!"

"Aaaaa bee ya," Benny said, holding his hands out for the box."

"Aw," Amy said, looking down at her son. "He likes it already."

"He likes my present better," Sheldon protested.

"I noticed his little Flash tee shirt," Penny said. "It's so cute."

"What did you get him, Bestie?" Amy asked.

Penny smiled and reached for the bag, pulling out a stuffed bear with a yellow jacket and hat. She held it out to Benny and the boy took it. "Hee!" he said, squeezing it to him. The bear made a soft growling sound. "I love you, Benny!"

Benny scooted backward and looked at the stuffed animal, looking petrified for a split second before breaking into a smile. "Ayi!"

"Yes, very sweet," Amy said putting the bear back in Benny's arms. He squeezed it again, not protesting when the animal repeated the phrase.

Leonard looked up at Penny and she smiled at him. "Isn't he cute?" She asked.

"The bear, or Benny?" Leonard asked jokingly.

"Both," she said.

"Adoarable," Bernadette said, putting her head on Penny's shoulder.

The group watched Benny giggle over the bear for a moment longer, and then a timer went off in the kitchen. "Oh," Amy said, getting up and leaning Benny against Leonard. "Time to offer him his last bottle!" She went to the fridge and removed the thermos, emptying the content into a bottle and putting it in the microwave.

"Your poor boobies," Raj said, shaking his head slowly.

"Are we sure he only had one shot?" Bernadette asked.

"I hope to God you're wasted," Penny told Raj.

"Why, so he won't remember you punching him?" Howard asked.

"Ordinarily yes," Penny said, "But I will not resort to violence in front of Benny."

The microwave beeped, and Amy removed the bottle and tested it on her arm. "Would you like to do it?" she asked, handing the bottle to Penny.

"Please," she said, taking the bottle. "Come here, Ben." He crawled toward her, and she lifted him into her lap, handing him the bottle. He curled up against her, his mouth working to remove the milk.

Penny felt her eyes threatening to well up as the bottle grew empty. This was it. He didn't need her anymore.

* * *

><p>It was only about nine-thirty when Penny got home. The party had caused Benny to crash before nine, and Amy had been up all of the previous night with Benny after a bird had hit his window and scared him, so she was about ready to drop as well. So everyone said their good – byes and went their separate ways.<p>

Penny drove too fast on the way home, and she knew that, but there were no cops around, not on those roads and not at this time of night. Pasadena cops were predictable – at least Penny knew their routes and patterns by now. But despite the knowledge of speeding, she couldn't make herself slow down.

A birthday, especially a first birthday, was cause for celebration. But Penny couldn't make herself celebrate. One year and a day ago, Benny's existence was completely dependant on her. Now, 366 days later, he didn't need her at all. He'd cuddled up to her and taken his last bottle. Now, it didn't matter if she left the country, or if she crashed her car and was killed. He'd be completely fine without her.

She parked her car and headed into the apartment building, looking down at the steps as she climbed to the fourth floor. Her key jammed in the lock and she chipped two nails getting into the apartment.

Penny locked her door and dropped her purse on the table next to it. "And I'm back to just being me," she said aloud to the empty apartment. The walker she'd bought for Benny was over by the coffee table, as were a few of his toys. So what if he'd be spending the next Monday with her. It's not like it was dependent on his survival or anything, she thought bitterly.

Penny walked over to her fridge and reached for the bottle above it. She'd always known this day was coming, but she'd held out while Benny still needed her nourishment. Now, however, it didn't matter what she put in her body. No one relied on her.

Penny sat on the floor, back against the fridge, and tipped the bottle up, taking the alcohol much more eagerly than Benny had taken his last bottle.


	6. The First Word

**Next chapter! Sorry for the wait.**

Penny laughed as Benny dropped back down to his knees, looking surprised. "Does Benny want help?" she asked, kneeling beside the soon – to – be toddler.

Benny looked up at her and grinned. "Hee…" he said.

"Does Aunt Penny look silly like this?" she asked, wiggling her head. She'd put her hair in two ponytails because it was a way to make the boy laughed that both parts of the Shamy approved of. She crawled toward Benny and took his hands. "Up you go!" she said, rising and helping Benny to his feet. She took a step back ward, keeping her hands up to support Benny. He looked at the ground and took two steps toward her. "Good boy!" she praised, wiggling her head again. Benny giggled, and Penny laughed along with him. She knew that Amy was working with Benny on walking as well, but it definitely couldn't hurt to help out, especially when Benny was so eager to try it.

He moved forward a few more steps before stumbling. Penny's hands holding his prevented him from falling, but the shaky moment was too much. Benny bit his lip, and then started to cry.

"It's okay," Penny said, gathering him into her arms. "It's okay. Shhhh…" she rocked him gently, blinking hard to prevent any potential tears from forming when Benny put his arms around her neck. She noticed that her bottle of alcohol was still on the counter, and she mentally kicked herself for not putting it away. She wasn't drunk; she always made sure that all alcohol was out of her system before receiving Benny for the day, but she still wished she'd remembered to put all her stuff away. It was impossible that Benny get to it, but she still didn't like it.

On the plus side, Benny had stopped crying. "There you go," Penny said, setting him on the couch. "Your mommy's gonna be here soon to pick you up." She sat next to him and smiled. "Do you like all your birthday presents?" She asked him.

"Eeee – aaaah," Benny said.

Penny wasn't sure if he was trying to say "Eeyore" or if his response was an affirmation. She decided to assume that Benny was aware that he didn't get his Eeyore stuffed animal for his birthday and go with an affirmation. "You do? That's good," she said. "Your mommy is going to take you to Grandma's house for a week. How do you like that?" Benny put his finger in his mouth and felt along his gums "Are you getting another tooth?" Penny asked him, and he frowned, staring at her intently. Then he giggled.

"I just don't understand you," Penny said. "Everything is funny. You didn't get either parent's sense of humor."

There was a knock at the door. "It's open, Amy," Penny said.

"Can I come in if I'm Leonard?"

"Oh." Penny smiled. "I suppose."

"Hey," he said, entering the apartment. "You okay?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Oh," Leonard stopped and looked at the baby. "Hey, Benny."

Benny grinned.

"So?" Penny asked.

"Just…" Leonard shrugged, walking toward her. "You seemed really upset after the party last week, and I know you'll be away from Benny for a while so, I was just making sure…" he trailed off and smiled. "I'm still not good at this, am I?"

"It depends on what you are trying to do," she told him, smiling. "And yeah, I'm going to miss him," she said, leaning over to kiss Benny's head. "But you know, he's not mine, he doesn't need me, Amy can take him to her mother's house for a while. It's fine. It's fine."

"Are you sure?" Leonard asked. "You haven't been acting right."

"How would you know," Penny said, "you aren't good at reading people."

"I dated you for almost a year," he said, dropping down onto the arm of the couch. "If I can't read you, that's pretty pathetic."

"I suppose you do know me pretty well," she said, looking up at him and smiling.

Their eyes locked for a few moments, disrupted by a knock at the door. "Where's my Bestie and my Benny?" Amy asked, letting herself in. She let out a fake gasp of happiness. "There he is! Hi, Penny," she added in her normal voice.

"What up?" Penny asked, smiling politely.

"I'll go," Leonard said, nodding to the two women and moving toward the door. Penny's eyes followed him briefly, and then turned to the neuro…something or other. "How was work?"

"Busy. Lots of brains. I like the ones I get to cut into better, they don't make comments about my clothes." Amy smiled at Penny and then turned her attention to her son. "Benny," she said. "Benny with a B. Are you ready?"

"Are you going to go and see Grandma?" Penny asked. "Are you excited to see Grandma?" She clapped her hands together twice, and Amy followed suit. Benny looked at the two women and then burst into laughter and clapped his hands. "All right," Amy said. "Let's get you in the car." She looked at Penny. "How about a week from Wednesday? We'll be back Monday but I also have Tuesday off."

"Maybe I could spend time with you guys then?" Penny asked.

Amy nodded. "I may be writing a report on our rhesus monkey breeding patterns with the new stimuli, so I won't be much of a conversationalist."

"Doesn't matter to me," Penny said. "Tuesday?"

"Sounds good," Amy said.

"Okay," Penny said, "well, have a good trip Drive safely."

"Thank you," Amy said. "Ready, Benny? Ready to go with Mama?" She reached out and lifted him off the couch.

"Mama."

Penny and Amy froze, Amy with the boy held at nearly arm's length. "What?" Amy asked him.

Benny moved his arms. "Mama. Mama."

Amy's jaw dropped. "Did you hear that?" she asked. "He said 'Mama'!"

Penny heard. "Are you sure it wasn't more of his babbling?" she asked.

"No," Amy said. "He's never said anything remotely sounding like "Mama" in context before. Oh, Benny!" She hugged him. "I have to tell Sheldon. He might not care, but I'm going to tell him! Bye, Bestie." She held Benny to her and moved toward the door.

Penny stood alone in the empty room. Mama. She hadn't realized it would hurt this much when Benny spoke that word. She hadn't realized how good it felt to know that Leonard was worried about her until she was hit with this awful, awful feeling just now. Emotional whiplash sucked.

Then she realized that she wasn't alone. She turned toward the kitchen and headed over, picking her friend up off the counter and finishing it off. Then, she looked at the fridge. Multiple other friends were waiting for her on the top of the appliance. Penny reached for them, desperate to feel any other way than how she felt right now.

**We've been noticing Penny drinking more and more on the show, so I thought I'd address it here-Benny being the catalyst. There will be more than one chapter more to this fic, but we're into the final bit-more than likely, at least.**


	7. The Dark Day

**Sorry for the long gap, college is insane. And I wrote this on two of my study breaks before finals. This does focus more on Leonard and Penny, but the catalyst is Penny/Benny. And it focuses on Penny's drinking problem and where it could lead.**

**I still don't own anything. I've written that more than two hundred times. And it never gets any less depressing.**

"She's been really sad recently."

Sheldon spun his chair around to look at Leonard. "Leonard, please don't take offense to this, but while you're sitting in your chair worrying over a woman, I'm trying to accomplish something useful. I'd appreciate if you'd leave me alone."

"Sorry," Leonard said in irritation. "I'm just worried about her."

"So go get back together with her and save us all the trouble of listening to you whine about it." Sheldon turned back to his computer and rolled his eyes so Amy, taking up a quarter of his screen, could see. "Honestly."

"I didn't say I was getting back together with her," Leonard said.

"Maybe not, but we all know you should."

"Can you minimize her?" Leonard asked.

"Minimizing would do no good, Leonard. Honestly, don't you know basic computer trivia?"

"He wouldn't react in such a volatile way unless I hit a nerve," Amy said. "Sheldon, would it be possible for you to meet me at the park in a half an hour? I'm going to be doing a social experiment with our son."

"Of course," Sheldon said. "Leonard, you have to drive me to the park."

"Walk." He said. "It's a two minute drive."

"Sheldon will walk if you go and talk to Penny," Amy said. Sheldon opened his mouth to protest and then stopped himself.

Leonard raised an eyebrow. Clearly at some point since Benny's birth Amy had become Sheldon's boss. "I'll talk to her," he said. "About what's been bothering her. Not about…not about us. She doesn't want that."

"Bull," Amy said. "Sheldon, at the rate you walk…"

"Fine," Sheldon said, minimizing his windows and grabbing his jacket. "I'll see you later, Leonard, and please, figure out what's wrong with that woman so we can all have some peace around here."

When he was gone, Leonard leaned back and fell deep in thought. She'd definitely seemed upset earlier; she'd probably want someone to talk to, and she usually opened up to him…he sighed. Yeah, fine, he did want to be with her again. But what Sheldon and Amy failed to realize is that wasn't what she wanted.

"Oh, what does it matter?" he asked himself, getting up. Penny needed someone to talk to. And friends did that.

Leonard crossed the hall, took a breath, knocked at the door and sighed when there was no answer. "Penny, open the door."

Nothing.

Leonard considered going back across the hall and leaving her alone, but the last couple of times she hadn't responded to his knock or told him to go away she ended up really needing to talk. "Come on," he said, trying what had worked in the past. "Just let me talk to you."

Nothing.

"I'm coming in," he said, cracking open the door. She was lying on the couch, her head raised, looking at the door. Clearly she'd heard his knock. "Hey," he said. "Are you okay?"

She blinked. "What?"

Leonard stopped, suddenly concerned. She hadn't spoken in a sarcastic way or angrily, or in a way that suggested she hadn't heard him. She sounded genuinely confused. He noticed multiple bottles beside her on the couch or on the coffee table. "Penny," he said, going toward her, "how much have you had to drink?"

"Mmm," she mumbled, dropping her head and closing her eyes.

"No," Leonard said, "No, you can't go to sleep." He wasn't sure exactly what was wrong, but he knew it had something to do with the drinking, and letting someone who had drank a large amount of alcohol go to sleep was not a good idea. "Penny."

"Mmm," she said again.

Alcohol poisoning. That was probably it. Leonard looked around at the bottles again. He knew she'd been drinking more since Benny was weaned, but he hadn't realized it was this bad. To test his theory – he was an experimental physicist, after all – he reached out and pinched Penny's skin. No response.

Leonard was sure he'd visibly paled. "Penny, you've got to get to the hospital." He reached over and tried to get her to a sitting position, but as he eased her up she pitched forward, gagging. Leonard didn't know what to do. _Do I hold her shoulders? Pound her back? What?_ His doctorate was useless to him at this moment. Leonard wished he'd gone into medical first response. Experimental physics could never save someone's life.

There was a water bottle on the desk near the table, probably left from when Benny was there. Leonard grabbed it and tipped Penny's head back, pouring it in. He wondered if rubbing her throat would make her swallow like it did for puppies. But the thought became moot when Penny swallowed on her own, and his relief at getting her to drink evaporated when she gagged, leaned forward, and expulsed the liquid.

He knew he couldn't carry her. He was "the muscle", but that didn't mean that he could carry someone who could carry him. But he didn't want to leave her to get help – she was incoherent and dry vomiting was a bad sign. He was just relieved she was still conscious.

"Okay," He said aloud. "I'm going to pick you up, Penny." Maybe he could. Superhuman strength an all, that people got when they were on adrenaline. And adrenaline was coursing through him right now; he was terrified for her life. He reached his arm under her knees and his other around her back and stood. It wasn't easy, and she wasn't doing much to help, but it didn't matter, he could carry her. "It's going to be okay," he said as he started toward stairs, using his foot to create enough momentum on the door to close it. "They thought Luke might die on Hoth, but they saved him. You'll be okay."

"Mmm," Penny said when Leonard tripped on the stairs. It gave him a bit of comfort, knowing that she wasn't entirely unresponsive. But not much, because he had no idea if there was any brain damage. Intelligent people and people with severe mental incapabilities both say "Mmm," at some point in their lives.

But it was something.

Upon reaching the lobby Penny's body convulsed again as she tried to throw up, this time succeeding a little bit, and Leonard shifted his weight to hold her in a standing position so she could throw up in the trash can by the door. He wasn't looking forward to the car ride like this, or having to get her back into a carrying position before that, but the fact that she had succeeded in throwing up meant that all of the alcohol had not internalized. "God, we've got to stop you from drinking," he said, lowering her to the floor so he could pick her up again. "Let's go."

He settled her into the passenger seat and drove to the hospital with the recklessness that Penny drove on a regular basis, keeping his right arm stretched across the car with his hand on her shoulder to make sure she didn't slump forward or backward. Her eyes were still open and when he spoke they shifted toward him, which made him feel better – just a little bit. _Just stay conscious, Penny,_ he thought. _Don't slip away. Benny won't…_Leonard figured that was a better thought to say out loud. He knew how much Penny loved that little boy. "Benny won't remember you," he said, looking at her. Her eyelids fluttered. "Penny!" he shouted. She blinked open. "What?"

"Stay awake."

"I…" Penny gagged again, choking.

Leonard cut through a parking lot to avoid a red light.

* * *

><p>Luckily, not too many cars were parked by Emergency. Leonard pulled up to the doors and a nurse came out. "Alcohol poisoning," he said.<p>

"How much did she consume?" the man asked.

Leonard shrugged, holding the door open while the man eased Penny into a wheelchair that another nurse had brought. "I don't know. I found her like this twenty minutes ago." He looked at her, seeming so small in that chair. "She's conscious but incoherent and she threw up once on the way to the car and once on the way here."

"That's a good sign, considering," he said. "You'll be okay," he said to Penny, who didn't really seem to know what he was telling her. Her arms dangled at her sides, and the nurse reached to put them in her lap. "I'm Doug, we're going to take you in, and your hus…boyfriend," he changed upon shifting her left hand to her lap, "will be right here."

Leonard didn't bother to correct him.

"Did you give her any water?"

"I did," Leonard said, "but she threw up almost immediately. Is she going to be okay?"

"We'll get her hooked up to an I.V. and give her an oxygen tube. And we may have to pump her stomach." Leonard cringed. "I know," said Doug. "It's not pleasant, but if she can't keep anything down we'll have to artificially clear out any remaining alcohol."

"Can I stay with her?" he asked, jogging to keep up with Doug as the nurse pushed the wheelchair down the hall.

"Yes," he said. "She'll want you there, especially as she becomes more coherent." He pushed open a room and wheeled Penny inside, situating her on the chair. "I'll be back with someone in a minute," he told Leonard, and left.

Leonard sat down next to Penny and took her hand in both of his, squeezing it and running his thumb over her skin. She opened her eyes and blinked several times before shutting them again. He saw her throat spasm as she unconsciously fought her gag reflex. "God," he said, putting his forehead on their hands. Being in the hospital didn't make him feel better one bit-none of the poison had been removed from her body and she was still barely aware. He noticed some vomit at the corner of her mouth and he grabbed a tissue to remove it.

Doug returned with two more employees, one of which began to prepare for the stomach pumping. The other nurse put an oxygen tube under Penny's nose, and Doug began to feed the tube down Penny's throat. She gagged severely and Dan withdrew the inch or two of tube to try again. "There we go," he said.

"This hurts, doesn't it?" Leonard asked.

"It can," said the nurse who had placed the oxygen tube. "But it's necessary."

With the tube in place and the oxygen being fed into Penny's lungs, Leonard began to feel a bit better. She was getting help, it couldn't get any worse. "God," he said, looking at her, "why did you do it?"

"Do you think it was intentional?" Doug asked.

"What?" Leonard said, sounding like Penny. "No, she…she drinks frequently. I've been told that on her girls' nights she drinks the most…but she's not the type to attempt suicide."

* * *

><p>When the pump was removed, the nurses adjusted the oxygen tube and I.V. and left Leonard and Penny alone. She was awake, and slowly becoming more coherent. "How much did I drink?"<p>

"Just…" he trailed off, looking down at their hands and then back up to her face. "A lot." Penny shuddered. "Are you okay?" She nodded, blinking hard as tears sprung to her eyes. "Why are you drinking so much?" He asked gently.

She sighed. "Because I'm upset."

"Is this about Benny?" he inquired, watching her face.

Penny bit her lip. "Yes, and you, and my job…"

"Me?" He cocked his head.

"When you were with Priya, I started drinking more, and it made me forget for a while, and then when Benny stopped needing me I started up again…and it just…seemed like the…solution…" her throat jerked again this time in an attempt not to cry. Leonard saw her focus her eyes on the ceiling in an attempt to neutralize her emotions. "Hey," he said scooting his chair closer. Despite the I.V.'s ability to restore her hydration rapidly, he didn't want her crying. "It's okay." He slid an arm awkwardly around her. "Benny loves you."

She nodded. "But I'm not his mom."

"You knew that going in," Leonard said gently.

"I didn't know how much I'd want him," she said sniffling and removing her hand from Leonard's to wipe her eyes. "I never know how much I want a lot of things until it's too late."

Leonard was still trying to process what she'd said earlier. "You have feelings for me?"

She started, then looked up at him for a long moment. He stared back at her, both of them unblinking. Then Penny looked away. "So?"

"So?" Leonard repeated. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You liked me for a year before you asked me out," Penny said. "You didn't waltz over 'hey, Penny, I like you, let's have babies'."

"No," he admitted. "But I told Sheldon that any kids you and I had would be smart and beautiful, and that was the day we met. And technically I asked you out less than a month later."

Penny coughed a couple of times and reached up to readjust the oxygen tube. Then she looked back at Leonard and smiled weakly. "Our kids would be pretty incredible, huh?"

He smiled. "Yeah, probably." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Looks like they gave you the treatments in time."

She shook her head. "Yeah."

"I can't believe you let it get this bad," Leonard said. "I just…"

Penny shifted her weight and leaned slightly over to kiss him, holding her arm back behind her for the sake of the I.V. They were positioned awkwardly, but held the kiss for several seconds before breaking apart. Penny fell back into her old position on the bed, and Leonard looked at her, only managing a quiet, "what did that mean?"

She sighed, staring up at the ceiling again. "It means I need you more than you probably know. And that's aside from what happened today."

He looked at her hands, then back at her face, wondering just how many times he had done that today. "Are you saying you want…"

"To try again?" She let her head loll toward him. "If you think an emotionally scarred, premature empty nesting drunk is worth a second try."

Leonard hated that she had to suffer this much, both emotionally and physically, for them to get to this point. But she wasn't drunk now or incoherent from medication. And Lord knows, he needed her, too. So he smiled. "I thought there was no try."

Penny looked at him for another moment before breaking into a smile. "You..."

"_You_ have to promise me that you'll get help for this drinking problem," he said. "You need to get to a place in your life where it won't be a problem."

She cocked her head slightly and let her eyes meet his. "I'm on my way."

**I had a lot of people asking me in reviews and PMs to get Leonard and Penny back together in The Surrogate Paradox, but that wasn't the focus of that fic, it was intended to show how the gang is a family. But the sequel had no such ambitions. There will probably be two more chapters.**


	8. Carry On My Wayward Son

**Okay, here's the ending. I've loved writing this one and its prequel and I wanted to continue it, but I felt like this was where the story wanted to end as to not drag on past the point of having a purpose. Now I'm throwing all my focus to The Parental Ambition.**

**I own Benny. That is all.**

Amy jumped off of the bus and Benny gave a short shriek as she landed awkwardly. "It's fine, baby boy, Benny with a B, Benny Benny," she repeated, rubbing his back to calm him down. The easy going boy he was, Benny began giggling. "For the love of God," Amy said as she jogged toward the hospital door. "Everything is not funny!"

"Amy," Sheldon said, doing his running walk in an effort to not fall more than his current fifteen feet behind her. "Penny thinks you are on your way to see your mother, she will not hold it against any of us if we walk."

"I'll hold it against myself," Amy said, turning around to face him. "We put her through this, Sheldon."

Sheldon rolled his eyes in the way only Sheldon Cooper could. "No, we didn't. I have never bought that woman alcohol in my life."

"She gave us Benny," Amy told him. "And we've just gone about our routine not realizing how it's affecting her."

"Oh please," Sheldon said. "Like Penny's anywhere near the creature of habit that we are."

"You know how she gets attached," Amy said. "And Benny depended on her for survival for almost two years."

"Amy?"

"Yes?"

"It occurs to me that we've stopped moving while having this conversation, now if reaching Penny is as important as you say, then…wait, where are you going?"

"I'm going to Penny," Amy said over her shoulder. "Listening to you, if you think about it."

Sheldon started following her again upon the realization that she was right.

Amy stopped cold upon reaching Penny's room, and then she smiled. "Well, well, well!"

Leonard was sitting on the edge of the bed, his arm around Penny's shoulders, the two of them holding both sets of hands. Amy was too pleased by this to be terribly alarmed at the presence of an oxygen tube under Penny's nose. So. She'd wondered often what it would look like, and finally she got to see exactly what Penny and Leonard was. And it made her smile.

"Bestie," Amy said, catching Penny's eye."

"Penny," Sheldon said, coming up behind Amy and giving a stiff nod.

Benny started laughing.

Penny smiled and Leonard laughed a bit, looking down at her and then back at the trio standing in the door way. "Hey, guys," he said.

"What happened to you?" Amy said, walking over to the bed with concern.

"I just drank too much," Penny said. "I'm okay." She sighed, smiling. "How's little Benny boy?"

"Benny bee," Benny said, looking from Penny to his mother.

"Yes," Amy told him. "Benny with a B."

"At least he isn't laughing at that," Sheldon said, reaching out to awkwardly pat his son's head. "Penny, I trust this alcohol was not a problem while you were feeding the little Homo novus."

She shook her head. "No. I was just having a hard time dealing with…with not doing that anymore." She waved her hand. "It's confusing, I know," she said.

"If I may say so, Penny, your life seems to be quite confusing," Sheldon said.

She smiled at Leonard. "Well…not so much anymore."

"Aw!"

Penny and Leonard looked over at Amy, who cleared her throat. "Ahem. Sorry."

"Ayah," Benny said, drawing the adult's attention to the door, where Howard, Bernadette, and Raj stood. "How did you guys...?" Amy asked, looking surprised.

"I called them," Leonard told her.

"Penny, what happened?" the microbiologist asked, coming over to the bed and grabbing the hand that Penny made free for her. "Was it the drinking?"

"I'm okay," Penny said. Amy walked over and handed her Benny, and Penny cradled him, glancing around the room. "This looks familiar,"

The group looked around in confusion for a moment, and then, one by one, it dawned on them what Penny referred to. "Benny's a lot bigger," Howard offered.

Penny laughed. "And thank God. Despite the caesarian."

Benny planted his hands on Penny's collarbone and pushed himself up grinning at her. "Awub oo," he said.

"I'm sure," Howard said, and Raj and Leonard smirked.

Amy cocked her head, fairly certain what Benny has said, becoming more positive when Penny's eyes welled up, just a little bit. And then Benny tried again. "A luw yoo."

"I love you too, Benny – boy," Penny said sticking her chin out and rubbing her nose against his in an eskimo kiss. Benny giggled and then cuddled back up to her, and when Sheldon moved over to Amy, the boy reached a chubby hand out to ward his father. Sheldon hesitated then held out a finger and tickled Benny's fingers by wiggling his own against them. Satisfied, Benny retracted his arm. Amy ruffled his hair.

Leonard kissed Penny's head. And Penny smiled one of the most natural smiles she'd produced in what felt like forever.

* * *

><p><em>"Carry on, my wayward son. There'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest; don't you cry no more." - Kansas<em>


End file.
